1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for use in the manufacture of articles of upholstery, for example chairs and mattresses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Customarily upholstery of cushions or other stuffed articles is effected with the air of pre-formed loops and buttons. In general an ornamental button is covered with material of the main covering of the article and this button has a closed eyelet to which there is attached a preformed loop by a knot termed a "half-hitch". Then, by means of an appropriate machine, after compression of the article, a length of the loop sufficient to reach the other side of the object being upholstered is passed through the article and securing at the opposite side can be effected by means of buttons having open eyelets. The disadvantages of such a method are varied. First of all the attachment of the loop to the ornamental button is a delicate operation, which is time-consuming and costly because the loop is a flexible article and cannot readily be grasped and is difficult to manipulate. Moreover, by this upholstery method, it is necessary to effect manually the buttoning of the other side during a time in which the machine is inoperative which increases the duration of the operations and hence renders them costly.
Another upholstery device has been proposed which consists in using two rods interconnected by a band and which is made to pass by means of appropriate needles, from one of the rods to the other side of the object to be upholstered. The other rod is initially equipped with an ornamental button. The first rod thus situated constitutes the securing button which is positioned automatically. The disadvantages of this device reside in the use of a band connecting the two rods. In fact, the former is of such a thickness that there is risk of damaging the article to be upholstered during the upholstery process. Moreover, the band is constantly urged, because of its tension, to resume its initial size which gives rise to the risk, in time, of notching the opening through which it is passed and this may give rise in time to the detachment of the opposing button.
Finally, the construction of the device including the ribbon and the rods is complicated and costly.
An object of the invention is to overcome all these disadvantages by a simple device which is easy to put into operation.